The Henry County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at the Henry County Courthouse to conduct regular business, learn more about the organization Preserve Oakland Mills and their request to move forward with Kirkham Michael Engineering for design plans on the Oakland Mills Foot/Walking Bridge, and approve a resolution for Henry County to continue its support of the Great River Housing Trust Fund in the upcoming fiscal year.
County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss provided an update and discussed ongoing projects across the county.
He reported that crews continue work on the bridge replacement project on 235th Street west of Mount Pleasant. They have removed nearly all the bridge deck and will be adding a second crane to remove the existing steel beams. Crews are repurposing much of the broken old concrete from the demolition to create a rock trench for stability for the new bridge.
Hotchkiss also explained that the melt of snow and ice on gravel roads throughout the county has given road crews a chance to spot haul rock and blade where needed. He noted conditions on gravel, although sloppy in some areas during the day, are in good shape for the winter.
The Supervisors held a discussion about the dust control application fee and late fees. Dust control fees for summer of 2026 will remain at $25. However, the late fee will be adjusted to $50. The deadline for submitting your dust control application request to the county is April 15.
Henry County Conservation Director Caleb Waters provided some additional information to the Supervisors regarding the Oakland Mills Foot/Walking Bridge and the relationship between the conservation department, the county, and the Preserve Oakland Mills organization.
After discussion, the Supervisors are allowing the 501c3 non-profit organization Preserve Oakland Mills, which is separate from the county or conservation department and consists of a group of concerned citizens, to move forward with an inspection and engineering design for the bridge with Kirkham Michael Engineering as long as there is an addendum to the agreement clearly stating the county is not held responsible or liable in any way, financially or otherwise.
Sara Hecox, a representative of the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission gave an informative presentation on the Great River Housing Trust Fund. She explained what types of projects they support, the eligibility requirements for each project, and the positive impacts Henry County’s investment in the Great River Housing Trust Fund from prior years has made around Mount Pleasant and Henry County.
Established in 2011, the Great River HTF has helped secure $9,012,813 dollars for housing projects across Southeast Iowa that assist low- and moderate-income households. Those projects range from helping secure down payment loans for homeowners, providing funds for homeowners to rehabilitate their homes focusing primarily on exterior improvements, upper story conversion funds for developers, and development assistance for projects – for example, the Hershey Hall project that is currently ongoing.
The Supervisors approved Resolution #35-2025 to support the Great River Housing Trust Fund, investing $12,500 for the upcoming fiscal year 2027 thus benefiting low to moderate income households in the county and region.
During supervisors’ subcommittee updates, each supervisor shared reports from committees they serve on. The meeting concluded following additional discussion and public comments.